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Email exchanges over union proposal shows campus divide

A movement by Tallahassee Community College faculty to unionize has unleashed a flurry of heated email exchanges and conversations on campus, prompting President Jim Murdaugh to issue a call for civility.

Murdaugh, who has made it clear that he opposes faculty unionization, said he is troubled by messages contained in a barrage of emails directed at him and his leadership team and distributed to faculty by key supporters of unionization.

But now that union organizers have filed for the United Faculty of Florida to represent them in collective bargaining, Murdaugh says he can’t send messages that he is trying to thwart those efforts. Some faculty members maintain that he is doing just that, with emails that “clarify” what unionization would mean at TCC and with reminders that any new direction for faculty ultimately comes at the hands of the administration and TCC’s board of trustees.

“We’ve gotten four or five emails in the past five years (from Murdaugh), now we’ve gotten four to five emails in the past two weeks,” said Martin Balinkski, a former Faculty Senate chair and key supporter of the union movement. “We want civil discourse, but we also don’t want our college changed for the worse. We are still proud of TCC and want to stay proud.”

'A very awkward time'

TCC faculty in May filed a petition with the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission asking for a vote at the beginning of the fall semester. The commission now must verify each of the signatures and then inform the college of the election request.

About 70 percent of faculty signed cards indicating their interest in calling for a union vote, with about 50 percent of them agreeing to join the union if the collective bargaining proposal passed.

Already, there are about 50 members of the United Faculty of Florida among the faculty, and 40 more have pledged to join if the election is successful.

A non-bargaining chapter was established at TCC in 1995, but a majority of faculty voted against an attempt to include collective bargaining in 2009.

The latest union movement was sparked by a rift created between TCC faculty and administrators in April when Provost Feleccia Moore-Davis had deans introduce to faculty a proposal that would have ended the decades-old practice of TCC professors being allowed to teach four classes per semester rather than the state required five. TCC has gotten around that mandate of a fifth class by reassigning them to other duties, also allowed by the state law.

Moore-Davis has said that practice has become unfair, with some professors using that extra time for activities that have not been monitored or properly documented.

The proposal turned the campus upside down. Some Faculty Senate members said it was another clandestine effort by the administration to subvert a spirit of “shared governance” when it comes to major policy decisions.

Faculty already were upset that summer class loads have been expanded without their input. Professors also charged that Murdaugh’s team has stalled for two years in addressing what faculty members say are inequalities in pay among professors and the fact that TCC faculty have gone without a substantial raise.

“We feel we have been misled on so many issues,” Balinsky said. “We don’t feel the college is on the same course as in the past.”

“It’s a very awkward time,” Murdaugh told members of the Democrat’s editorial board last week. "I'm against the union because it has been my experience that it doesn't improve the experience for faculty, students or administration."

'Uncivil behavior, innuendo, and fear-mongering'

Murdaugh said “internal communications have been ugly,” and that he is not going to tolerate it. But at the same time, he has to be careful in his responses, at the risk of being accused of stymieing the union movement.

Some faculty members say that is exactly what Murdaugh is doing.

In a June 9 email to faculty, Murdaugh writes, “A number of questions related to the faculty unionization election process and related issues continue to be raised. I want to be sure that as you consider a decision about how to vote, that you are able to see the facts through all of the falsehoods, rhetoric and often baseless accusations perpetuated by a vocal minority.”

Murdaugh tells faculty that “the TCC community is relying on every faculty member to educate themselves on what it means to be unionized.” He says once a union is approved, it stands and there is no backing out. He also reminded faculty of the dues commitment they would be paying if a vote is successful.

“Let me be clear that I am not standing in the way of your right to unionize, but I do want you to know that you also have the right not to unionize.”

Murdaugh then gets to the subject that troubles him the most.

“I want you to be aware that we have tolerated more than we should have,” he wrote. “The uncivil behavior, innuendo, and fear-mongering employed by a few individuals has gone on long enough and is not representative of the faculty excellence our institution is known for. The false accusations regarding our motives and personal attacks on character are over the line, especially considering these attacks are often coming from those who are, at the same time, complaining about a contentious atmosphere at the College.”

Murdaugh continues by saying, “next-day apologies to various employees that a few faculty members have offered are insufficient. We will not continue to tolerate any actions – via email, phone or personal visits – that create a hostile work environment for our employees.”

A bitter back-and-forth

Murdaugh also reminds faculty that he stepped in and announced at an emergency town hall meeting that the plan by Moore-Davis had been shelved, and that a committee with faculty representation would be formed to address workloads.

“I left the April Town Hall meeting with faculty assuming that we would work together,” he wrote. “I was disappointed that I had to hear about the vote to unionize from the Tallahassee Democrat rather than from faculty.”

Later that same day, Frank Baglione, immediate past chair of TCC Faculty Senate and union organizer, fired back at Murdaugh over the contents of his letter.

“In response to your call for a civil discourse, let me say that we all hope that the union campaign will be conducted in a professional and civil manner,” he wrote. “As you have made statements that apparently oppose unionization of the faculty, I hope that your administration will adhere to these standards.”

Baglione goes on to write, “Now, in my opinion, a good deal of your letter takes positions against the union which are disingenuous at best, but these portions I have just now quoted from your letter seem to go into an area that could be perceived as defamatory, threatening, and (to use your words) fear mongering. I truly hope that was not your intention."

Brenden Diamond, an assistant professor of physical sciences, also responded to Murdaugh’s email, complete with a list of questions and his own commentary.

“Perhaps it is because of your position of authority that I hold your communication to a higher standard, but I have found your emails to be the most troubling and hostile in the lead up to a possible unionization...” Diamond wrote. “Let’s not forget we have unions to thank for eight-hour days and 40-hour work weeks, even though our salaried faculty and staff all work well beyond this. Hmm… maybe they should unionize?”

Ginny Wagner, associate professor and program chair in the Dental Health Programs, sent an email the day after Murdaugh’s.

“This is challenging for me because I am voicing only my opinion, and it does not seem to be the popular faculty point of view," she wrote. "I do not support unionization."

Wagner went on to say she believes in having direct communication with the administration rather than having her views represented by a union.

“Yes, we have some very real miscommunications, and even some trust issues, but I don’t believe for a minute that bringing in a third party that will eliminate this direct communication will solve any of the problems,” she wrote.

This prompted a response from Tomas Berger, who explained to Wagner that a “third party” would not speak for faculty if a union is declared, but rather members of TCC’s faculty.

“I am greatly troubled with the tone the administration has taken and with its attempts to silence the conversation,” wrote Berger, a chemistry professor. “Therefore, I can no longer keep quiet. This likely means my name has been added to the list of 'trouble makers.' I'm OK with that, just so I could have this conversation with you. I am not asking you to change your mind, just wanted to clear up a misconception as to who would represent us.”

TCC Faculty Senate chair says a portal has been created where faculty can express their views.(Photo: TCC)

'This union garbage is what you're having to deal with now'

Murdaugh’s June 9 email was precipitated by one sent to him June 2 by communications faculty member Malcolm Armstrong, who criticized both Murdaugh and Moore-Davis.

“Dr. Murdaugh – You do realize that if you’d just fired your mouth-piece Provost, things probably would have stabilized,” he wrote. “You brought all of this upon the Administration with your “invisible act” that actually continues to this day (“I wasn’t in town, I wasn’t in town…”). No one believes you’ll be interpersonal at this time. Your Provost is a sad embarrassment to TCC …. Again, I blame you for NOT being at TCC when it needed a President who was here dealing with this stuff directly from the get-go. You weren’t, and that’s a shame. Hence, this union garbage is what you’re having to deal with now.”

Armstrong later sent two emails of apology to Murdaugh saying that he was responding to what is becoming a stressful situation.

During Monday’s board of trustees meeting, newly elected Faculty Senate President Patrick McDermott said he will submit a resolution outlining the faculty’s concerns with the administration.

McDermott said that he understands that the back and forth with emails has been intimidating to some faculty and useful to others.

But last week, he, along with Moore-Davis, agreed on creating an online portal where all communications could flow freely, giving faculty a chance to review what is being said.

“This would give faculty the opportunity to write their opinions without bombarding co-workers and administration with emails,” he wrote. “This would also give me an opportunity to hear everyone’s opinions and better equip me to fully encompass the various points of view when I interact with the administration. I want to make sure EVERYONE has a voice."